1. belonging to the earliest stages of the development of something, such as a language, a species, or a technology.

2. describing a society or culture that is nonliterate and economically and technologically undeveloped and that appears to be characterized by relatively simple forms of social organization. The term in this sense is now generally avoided by social scientists, as it implies acceptance of the discredited view that all societies pass through the same stages of development and that certain cultural practices belong to an “earlier” stage of human evolution (see cultural epoch theory; social Darwinism). Note also that technologically undeveloped societies may be highly developed in other respects, having complex religious and kinship systems. See also modernization; traditionalism.